Everyone is quick to claim this is driven by online shopping but the core of what JCP (and Sears) sells are not really online items. Clothing, bath & housewares are likely not big online sales areas. Some of these items that are online are still seeing declining sales.
Can we admit a big part of this problem is the destruction of the middle class? The core customer for JCP, Sears are middle america where there is ongoing elimination of manufacturing and other types jobs. With increasing loss of people with good paying jobs come things like this. You need people with INCOME to drive sales.
As there are less and less people with (expendable) income there will be winners and losers. It's no wonder stores like WalMart are seeing record sales as people are not making more money as well go where the prices are cheapest. The same is occurring in clothing .. stores like H&M, Zara, F21 are soaring - other retailers are crashing.
Every likes to cheer about the end of malls - yet their tax revenue will cause issues at the local level - as tax revenue decreases you will see your taxes go up to offset or much to peoples dismay prices online will INCREASE likely due to reduced competition as well states pushing taxes on online retailers.
But agree the quality and service at Sears, JCP has steadily decreased over the years. Tastes change, people expect different shopping experience. But it's not limited to these poorly run retailers